The Battlefield Blog has an overview on the multiplayer philosophy for Battlefield 3, as DICE's Lars Gustavsson shares thoughts on their upcoming military first-person shooter sequel. The game's lead multiplayer designer describes how they have adopted a goal of letting the players choose how they will enjoy the game, compared with their approach on Battlefield 2 he describes as: "Play the game our way, or play something else." Here he expands on that a bit:

At DICE we have always been proud about our classic mainstay game modes Conquest and Rush. They embody much of what Battlefield stands for: vast scale and all-out vehicle warfare with an emphasis on teamplay. But focusing almost entirely on these modes have meant sacrificing the pick up and play instant action experience that a tight Team Deathmatch mode delivers.

Fans of the series can rest assured that both Conquest and Rush game modes are back, bolder and more beautiful than ever. Complementing these with Team Deathmatch means there are now even more ways to play Battlefield. From all-out vehicle warfare to tight infantry combat, itís all about your current mood and your preferred play style. And this is far from everything we have waiting for you in the multiplayer component of Battlefield 3 -- we will return shortly to talk about more multiplayer modes and new features that change how you can play the game.

Another vote for tweaking hardcore mode. With the complete lack of spotting, uselessness of in-game recon and the recon balls, and the weirdness of the sights I just won't play that mode. Make spotting useful again and tweak the sighting a bit and you can color me interested.